the tindog coffeehouse

I’m not sure quite what to make of this story in the Dallas Morning News about a Collin County camp for children of atheists, agnostics, and “free thinkers”:

In many ways, the one-day event looked more like science camp than a gathering of children who had grown up without a god.

The campers, ages 5 to 15, played with llamas and kangaroos, examined fossils and staged their own UFO sightings.

Their counselors refrained from bringing up religion directly, though they encouraged the kids to embrace scientific skepticism.

Many of the parents had more modest goals, hoping their children would have some fun – and maybe make a few friends from among North Texas’ small but growing community of nonbelievers.

I don’t know what’s more tragic, that a camp like this exists or the part about the “growing community of nonbelievers”.

It’s one thing, I guess, when an adult says they’re an atheist. But seeing them pass down their rejection of God to their children is especially heartbreaking. Then again, I suppose they would say the same about me and how I raise my kids. The consequences, though, are much different in their case.

(And yes, if you’re keeping score at home, this makes two consecutive atheism-related posts. Who knows, maybe I’ll try for the hat-trick tomorrow.)